Doctor Who: Devil in the Dark
by Scarecrow Cenobite
Summary: What is the nature of the creature that haunts the woods and can a legend hold the truth to its existance? A Ninth Doctor and Rose adventure set between World War Three and Dalek.
1. Prologue

Doctor Who: Devil in the Dark.

Prologue.

It was from about seven in the evening that the feeling of hopelessness had begun to work its way into Daniel's system. As the dark began to close in and the temperature gradually decreased his thoughts of ever finding the way out of the woods he currently found himself lost in began to seem more and more ludicrous. He knew he had been hiking for some time, he rarely stopped for rest and only drank from his water bottle on occasion and yet he was both exhausted and nearly out of refreshment. He had lost any real sense of the passing of time since he broke his watch when falling from a tree he had attempted to climb in order to get a better look at his surroundings though he knew he'd been lost for several hours now. After all, it was getting dark and sunset was around seven though this, of course, presented a new dilemma for him – if he had indeed been travelling for as long as his limited sense of time told him he had then he surely would have reached the edge of the woods by now. Yet here he was, still lost and with night slowly closing in on him, its darkness ever threatening to become absolute.

Daniel stopped and sat down on the fallen remains of a tree and looked up at the dark blue sky. The moon was almost completely visible and he realised he didn't have long until total darkness. He wrapped his thick jacket tighter around him and felt the reassuring softness of his woollen shirt against his skin, it was his favourite shirt knitted by his mother for his twentieth birthday, just over a year ago now. He wore it whenever he went hiking along with his heavy, black boots, favourite tatty combat trousers and the thickest pair of gloves he could get his hands on. Daniel always told himself he was prepared for anything and even as he sat lost and alone in the dark he could find humour in his own false belief.

As he sat in the cold, the wind growing stronger, blowing sharply across his face, he looked around at the landscape around him and he remembered why he so enjoyed hiking. Each tree was individual, its bark, height and shape its own unique form and they stood as a testament to the beauty and unlimited invention of nature; he loved exploring each new world and seeing each new detail where ever it was he went. Whilst he was sure some people felt they had to travel the world to see wonders and feel like they had achieved something Daniel was satisfied to know he could find wonder wherever it was he went.

His brief respite and contemplation of his motives fired up his spirit and Daniel decided to press on a bit further until total nightfall. He picked up his things and headed onwards, knowing that every step took him further to an inevitable civilisation. The woods, however much it seemed like it, couldn't go on forever and he might as well try and enjoy this little adventure as much as he could.

"Who's there?" It was perhaps an unrealistic question to ask, any number of explanations could have explained the snapping branch he had heard seconds ago and yet it had set him instantly on edge. He'd only been walking for another ten minutes, at least he estimated so, yet h was feeling much more tired and Daniel guessed that explained his some what more jumpy nature. Still, it was pitch black now and with his torch as his only illumination it was probably time to stop and rest for the night, he could continue his journey in the morning.

He threw down his bag again but as he did so he heard another noise through the dark, slightly masked by the sound of his belongings hitting the floor but clearly a movement of some kind. A movement of something large.

An animal of course, once again he was getting paranoid. He usually handled situations such as this very well but something was certainly getting the better of his senses and, as his feelings of unease increased, he began to doubt that tiredness could excuse his growing fear. Daniel shone his torch about himself in every direction, unsure where exactly the sound had come from.

"Is someone there?" he found himself calling out and immediately chided himself for it. If there was someone and they were trying to scare him he was playing right into their hands. Better to keep silent, listen and be very watchful and then he may catch a glimpse of whatever was the source of the noises.

Ah he listened he heard a scrabbling of leaves followed by silence. He froze, the woods and blackness around him deafly silent and devoid of any sign of life, the only sound he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart. Suddenly through the silence he heard another sound, something different, almost like the flapping of a birds wings but not quite.

As he shone his torch in the direction he felt the sound had come from he felt his stomach sink in fear and his hearts beat seemed like that of a drum pounding in his chest. He regretted shining his light, he regretted not being wary of his own sense of fear and he regretted ever coming on this trip.

Through the darkness a shape flew through the air, passing through the light briefly. He couldn't make the details out but it was enough, he dropped the torch in panic and stumbled back, tripping over his own belongings.

He had to flew. He scrabbled up as the flapping grew louder and he felt the rush of air as something went over his head. A screech, both familiar sounding and yet not echoed around him as he began to run, sprinting blindly into the darkness. Whatever it was after him he knew it was dangerous, he had sensed the danger and ignored it, rationality getting in the way of his own bodies warnings.

He cried out as his blind panic led into the tree log he had sat on only a short while ago. His legs hit it at great speed and he cartwheeled forward, he heard a crack of bone and agony soared up his shoulder as he struck the floor and rolled in the dirt. He tried to pick himself up but the pain in his shoulder burned stronger and his head was sore from where he had hit the ground.

Daniel tried to remain calm, tried to gather his senses but he couldn't He was alone and injured in the dark and something was after him. He heard cracking wood and looked up, a shape was perched on the log only metres away. He couldn't make it out properly, the darkness and pain conspired to hide the horror of what had pursued him though this was, perhaps, in the end, for the best. As the creature came down upon him he squeezed his eyes closed tight and screamed out into the darkness, a scream that echoed across the empty woods and was soon joined by the piercing, unnatural screech of the devil in the dark.


	2. Chapter 1

Devil in the Dark.

Chapter Two.

Daylight shone down through the gaps in the foliage creating distinct patterns of light across the forest floors. A number of small animals rummaged about the undergrowth and a few birds called out in the sky but otherwise the place was silent. There was no one around to hear the strange mechanical sound that began to appear, at first quiet and distant but steadily building. Trees began to sway as if blown by some freak wind and leaves scattered about the floor, all the while the engine-like noise louder and stronger. A shape began to appear at the centre of the activity, fading into existence and scaring off the rest of the animal life in the area. Slowly but surely solidifying was a large blue box, the noise of engines dying away as its materialisation nears completion. Moments later the animals returned, the noise had gone and everything was as it had been except now, sat in the middle of the forest, was a nineteen fifties police telephone box.

* * *

The door swung open and he stepped out in a shining ray of sunlight. He stopped and paused, a look of puzzlement crossing his face.

"Hang on a minute," he said to himself walking forward and looking around at his surroundings, "This isn't New York."

"Doctor?" came a questioning voice from the TARDIS door. The Doctor looked over to where Rose Tyler had departed his craft behind him. She was wearing a pair of scruffy blue jeans and a loose red T-shirt which she had brought from her home which they had left what seemed only a short while ago. She raised eyebrow at him and indicated their surroundings which was most obviously not the bustling city of New York in 2099 but, in fact, some kind of very large forest.

"We may have, em, gone a little off course," he said sheepishly. He clapped his hands together with a broad grin spreading across his face, "Still, might as well take a look round while we're here, aye!" He turned and started to stroll forward confidently into the woods.

* * *

Rose watched the Doctor head off and couldn't help but give a small laugh at how he always managed to take everything in his stride. He had promised to take her 'the greatest new years eve party ever', in New York of 2099 but, as Rose had come to learn, as brilliant as the TARDIS was, for a time machine it was a little erratic. Still, she'd left her friends and family to travel with the Doctor and though, at times, she missed them she wouldn't give this up for anything, his ship could travel anywhere in time and space and the opportunities to experience new things were endless.

So here they were, in a forest, most likely on Earth but with no idea where or when. She stepped from the door which swung shut behind her, automatically locking, and took in her surroundings. The TARDIS certainly stood out, the Doctor had claimed it was a disguise but it seemed to her to be very noticeable. The bright blue of the box contrasted with the greys and browns of the trees bark and the numerous greens of the vegetation. The forest seemed to go on for as far as she could see.

Still, thought Rose, it's a nice day, the sun seems warm, why not enjoy it? She started to run slightly in order to catch up with the Doctor who was turning on his heels as he walked, taking in the view from all directions.

"Marvellous, isn't it?" he beamed, "I've spent far too much time in cities these days, can't ya just smell that fresh, clean air?"

"Do you know where we are then Doctor," Rose asked but she already guessed the answer.

"Nope," he said without a moments hesitation, as if relishing in the ignorance. He suddenly came to a stand still and bent down and scooped something out of the undergrowth. "The TARDIS wasn't telling but I'm guessing we can't be too far from civilisation". Before Rose could ask why he span around and held a small object up between finger and thumb.

"What is it?" Rose asked in the full knowledge that he was just dying to let her know. He loved to show off at times though he wouldn't always admit it.

"Shotgun shell," he said as he pocketed it, "Someone's been shooting at something round 'ere. Not too long ago either, it's still warm. Shall we try and find 'em?"

"Are you sure we wanna find them," Rose said cautiously, "if they're shooting at things."

"Nah, why would they shoot at us? Anyway, we won't know till we find em! Come on." He carried on and, with a small shake of her head, Rose moved forward to walk alongside him. Their hands slipped into each others and they strolled forward through the forest, the undergrowth crunching beneath their feet with every step.

* * *

Lonnie Jackson picked up the pace. He hated getting left behind almost as much as he hated being alone in this God-forsaken woodland. However, he was somewhat comforted by the shotgun he held tightly in his grip and the fact he could radio for help at any time. He'd catch up to the others in no time and then he wouldn't have to worry or let his paranoia run away with him anymore.

It was your own fault, he thought, if only you'd not gone out drinking last night. He knew he'd had the hunt today but he had still got dead drunk the night before and, in the middle of the hunt, started brining up the contents of his stomach. Of course, not wanting to show weakness in front of the others he had insisted they go on and he'd catch them up. He was regretting it now though, of course, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Just press on and catch up with them soon.

Lonnie stopped and stared. He wasn't entirely sure what he was seeing. He'd come out into the woodlands many times, he knew all the colours of the landscape and red wasn't amongst them. Yet here it was, red in a world of greens and browns, a scarlet red strewn across the floor as if a child had flicked a paint brush upon a sheet of paper. Red wasn't meant to be here.

His mind took its time processing what he was seeing, despite the reason for them being on this hunt in the first place he still hadn't been prepared to witness anything quite like this. The drops of blood were everywhere, not just the ground but upon the vegetation, upon the bark and branches of numerous trees. He felt his stomach begin to churn again and he tightened his grip on the shotgun as he slowly edged forward. He came to realise the worst of the blood was splattered across the rotting remains of a fallen tree and slowly he walked towards it.

A noise caused him to turn on his heels, a drop of sweat running down his forehead. The noise could have been anything, there was life here after all. Though the nature of that life was what had led them out here in the first place. His fear building, Lonnie started to shuffled backwards, his eyes not leaving the direction he thought the sound had come from.

His paranoia and fear had overcome his other senses as well as his common sense, as he moved backwards his legs soon hit the very trunk he had been heading towards. Unbalanced and panicked Lonnie couldn't stop himself toppling over it onto the floor on the other side. And when he saw what he was now led next to he could do nothing else but cry out in horror before depositing the rest of his breakfast onto the undergrowth.

* * *

"Let's go!" was all the Doctor uttered before breaking into the run as the horrified scream rang out through the woodland. Rose didn't need telling twice and quickly went into action, keeping pace with the Doctor. As they ran she did wonder whether it was such a good idea to go diving in like this, after all, they had no idea what had caused the man to yell like that and there was a chance they could arrive to find something dangerous and unpleasant waiting for them.

It didn't take them too long to reach the man and Rose realised she had been right in a way. Blood was strewn across the woodland in every direction whilst stuffed down next to a fallen tree was what appeared to the remains of a person. Rose had seen plenty of death in her travels with the Doctor but nothing quite like this. The body was mutilated, huge chunks of flesh torn away with fragments of bone and remains of organs plainly visible. The face seemed bloodied and scarred beyond recognition. As if sensing her discomfort the Doctor turned to her.

"Rose, you don't wanna look at this," he said with concern.

"It's alright Doctor," she said putting on a brave face as best she could, "I can handle it". The Doctor didn't seem sure but wasn't going to argue with her, he turned his attention to the man next to the body. The man was of medium height and rather well built, Rose would have put his age at late forties but it was hard to tell due to the long, tangled hair and huge bushy beard. He had obviously fallen over the log judging by the blood and dirt that covered his clothes where he sat, staring at the corpse.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor tried asking the man who didn't respond. Rose saw him clasping a shotgun tightly in both his hands as he sat. She wasn't a medic but she'd seen enough episodes of Casualty to know that he was probably still in shock.

"Doctor, shouldn't we try and keep him warm or something?" she asked trying to remember what Harry Harper, or whoever it was, would do.

"He's in shock alright," the Doctor replied, his tone suggesting he was glad she was on the ball, "But I think we might want to get him away from the body, I'm sure it ain't doing him any good." The Doctor took off his battered leather jacket and draped it carefully over the man's shoulders before trying to gently lift him. He looked up at Rose.

"I could do with a hand here ya know," he said in mock annoyance. Rose went over, deliberately avoiding looking at the corpse, and helped lift the man who put up little resistance. They led him several metres away and helped him sit facing away from the carnage, as they made him comfortable a horrible thought dawned on Rose.

"Doctor, what if whatever did that," she indicated behind her with a nod of the head, "Is still around here? Shouldn't we, like, get away from here?"

"Probably," The Doctor said flippantly. Rose was going to reply when a gun shot went off followed by several voices shouting in the distance. Rose and the Doctor both turned in unison to see a group of about five men, all armed, heading their way. There body language and the tone of their voice did little to settle her sense of unease, they definitely did not seem friendly. Not that that seemed to worry the Doctor who smiled and gave an exaggerated wave towards the approaching group.

"Doctor," Rose hissed quietly, "They don't look too friendly." The Doctor continued to grin and wave as the men approached.

"Just be relaxed and friendly, let's not go upsetting them any more than they already are."

"They have guns," she said in reply but then went silent as the group of men reached the corpse. Rose noted that though they looked horrified by the sight they didn't seem too surprised which only served to make her worry more about the situation the TARDIS had landed them in this time. They looked up over at Rose and the Doctor before heading towards them. One man moved in front the others, he seemed to be in charge, and like the man they had found he had a long hair and a somewhat tidier beard. He also held his own shotgun that seemed to worryingly be pointed in their general direction.

"I hope you got yourself a good explanation mister," the man drawled in what Rose identified as some kind of American accent though she couldn't place it any more specifically.

"We found your friend," Rose said, hoping to convince the man they were trying to help and so to lower his gun, "he was in shock so we tried to help him." The man looked from Rose to the Doctor who nodded towards her.

"What she said." The man nodded and, to Rose's relief, lowered his gun though he still seemed kind of tense.

"Names Derrick," the man said, "Can I ask what you people are doing round here?"

"Tourists," the Doctor said with a grin, "Only we, eh, seem to have got a little lost. Don't suppose you could tell us where we are?" Derrick looked at him incredulously.

"Got any identification?" Derrick asked and Rose saw the Doctor slip his hand into his trouser pocket and pull out what he had previously identified to her as 'slightly psychic paper' which had the ability to display whatever credentials were necessary for them to get by. It seemed to work and Derrick nodded satisfied.

"Alright boys," he said and the group all seemed to relax at once, their weapons going down to their sides.

"Great, now that's out of the way, how about we see about helping your friend?" suggested the Doctor, "he's had a bit of a shock you see, discovering that body over there. Which also makes me wonder why you don't seem too surprised to have a corpse on your hands, hardly something you see every day."

"Unless you're us," Rose murmured under her breath but if the Doctor heard her he chose to ignore it. Some of the other men walked past them to help the one they had found as Derrick nodded in response to the Doctor.

"He ain't the first, it's why we're out here," he replied dryly, "There's been at least three deaths so far. We're gonna get the thing that done them in."

"Are all the bodies partially eaten?" the Doctor asked. The thought had never occurred to Rose, she had assumed it had been a particularly grizzly mauling but the idea something had made a snack of these people made her feel queasy. Derrick again nodded, this time looking at the Doctor in a slightly more suspicious way.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"He is a Doctor, you know," Rose piped in, "he might be able to help you find out what killed your friend."

"Oh we know what killed him," Derrick replied, "and it wunt no natural critter, I'm telling ya."

"So what was it? Just where are we anyway?" the Doctor asked looking around, "And come to think of it, what year is anyway?" Derrick gave him another strange glance before shaking his head.

"All you tourists are a strange lot," he said, "but you must know where you are."

"Humour us," the Doctor smiled.

"New Jersey, obviously," Derrick replied and Rose noticed the Doctors grin full away completely and his expression became deadly serious, "In the Pine Barrens".

"So what you're hunting…" the Doctor began, his voice low and cold as Rose often found it went when he was confronted with a serious situation.

"…is not just some big bad wolf," Derrick interrupted, "it's a demon all the way from hell itself." The Doctor nodded.

"You're hunting the Jersey Devil," he said.


End file.
